


See You Again

by SwanQueen4tw



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, Swan-Mills Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-10
Updated: 2015-08-10
Packaged: 2018-04-14 01:04:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4544178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SwanQueen4tw/pseuds/SwanQueen4tw
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set when Regina is breaking Pan’s curse. Knowing that Emma keeps a token to remember people she cares about by, Regina gives Emma her scarf even though she knows Emma won’t remember her once the curse is activated. In NY, Emma feels nothing. She loves her son but knows that something is missing. One day Emma and Henry go for a drive to get away and they stumble upon Storybrooke. What happens when the town sees Emma and Henry but they don’t know anyone or anything?</p>
            </blockquote>





	See You Again

“When the curse is activated Storybrooke will never have existed. All of us will go back to just being stories. You have to go with Henry. He was born here so he would be left behind. Since you’re The Savior, you can escape my curse again.”

         I tried to stay strong. Seeing Regina hold back tears was breaking my heart. She was going to lose her son. The one thing she has always been most afraid of. “What’s going to happen to us?”

         “I don’t know.” A sad smile tugged at the Mayor’s lips.

         “That doesn’t sound like much of a happy ending.” The lump in my throat was getting painful. I refuse to cry in front of people; especially Regina.

         “It’s not. But I can give you one.”

         “You can preserve our memories? You can let us remember you?”

         Regina shook her head. “No. I can do what I did to everyone else and give you new ones.” Regina took my hand in hers. “My gift to you is good memories. I can give you a good life for you and Henry. You will have always been together. You would have never given him up.”

         “Regina, please don’t do this.” My voice gave out. “You can’t give up Henry….”

         “I have to.” Regina took off the white scarf she wore. “I know that you keep tokens to remember people by. You won’t remember me but I want you to have this.” I couldn’t move as Regina carefully wrapped the wool scarf around my neck and fixed it. “Now go. Take care of our son. Have the life you always wanted.”

         “Regina…” I couldn’t hold back the tears. My senses were filled with the smell of Regina’s perfume. “I…”

         “I know.” Regina smiled softly. “Who knew you were the only thing that could stop the darkness? Now go.” Henry and I looked back at everyone once more before climbing into the bug. I watched as the town line was covered in purple smoke and Regina disappeared.

Xxx

         “Here he is boys.” Heads turned as I walked into the basement of the speak easy casino.

         “I’ll be damned. Emma Swan has done it again.” James, the head of the New York mob, stood. “I never doubted you. Boys, take Mr. Travis to my office.”

         I released the balding man to James’ minions. “Well, you wanted the best in the business.”

         “Indeed I did. Now, here’s your payment my dear.” James gave me an envelope filled with twenty five grand inside. “No need to count it. All twenty five is there.”

         “Nice doing business with you sir.” With that, I turned and walked out. It was nearly time for Henry to get home from school. As I approached the apartment building, Henry called out.

         “Mom!”

         “Hey kiddo, how was school?” Wrapping Henry in a one armed hug we continued inside.

         “It was fine. I have an awesome assignment for Fiction Writing. I have to write up a short story set in like storybook times or whatever.”

         Opening the door I let Henry in first. “Like Snow White and Prince Charming?”

         “Yeah but I’m going to do something completely different. I’m going to have the daughter of Prince Charming and Snow white be a Savior who has to defeat the Evil Queen but XY and Z happens and they end up falling in love. How I’ll have the Evil Queen and The Savior around the same age when they fall in love I have no idea yet.”

         “That’s a new spin on things. It’ll be pretty interesting. When are you going to start it?” I hung our coats and scarves; being careful to hang my favorite scarf carefully.

         “Here in a few. Then I’ll take a break for dinner.”

I watched as Henry darted off to his room. “Crazy kid.”

xxx

After dinner Henry plopped down beside me on the couch. “Okay, here’s a rough outline and some writing. What do you think?”

_The EQ hates SW and casts a curse. Before curse is done PC puts baby (TS) in wardrobe. Baby teleported to our world. 28 years later TS shows up and meets the EQ. But no one in town knows she’s the EQ or who they are. Later on Emma (TS) falls in love with the EQ (Regina)._

“The Savior’s name is Emma. I wonder where you got that name from.” Henry grinned as I continued to read. “Sounds good. I’ll enjoy reading the finished product.”

“Thanks Ma.” Henry continued to write in his notebook while I flipped through the channels. _Regina. Why does that name sound familiar to me? And the whole Evil Queen, Savior idea? It’s probably nothing._

Xxx

It was my day off so after I dropped Henry at school I started doing the errands that needed to be done. I never kept things from Henry; or I tried not to. But there was one thing I kept to myself. Once a week I would see a shrink. “Hey Doc, how are you?”

“I’m well. Please, take a seat.” Doctor Rogers was one of the best women therapists in this half of the United States. She was pricey but good at what she does. “So, what would you like to talk about this week?”

“Honestly, I feel empty. I feel…nothing. I mean, I love Henry and I enjoy my job but there’s something missing. I don’t feel like I belong here. Henry and I have been here for a year but…I don’t know.”

“You know the phrase “I don’t know” means that you do know you just don’t want to admit it.” Glaring towards the doctor all she did was smirk. “You know I’m right Emma. Isn’t Henry on Winter break soon? Maybe get out of town for a week or two. Just get in your car and drive.”

She was right. Henry’s winter break started in two weeks. I had money saved up and maybe some time away would be good for us both. “This is why I pay you an arm and a leg per hour isn’t it?”

“People know the answers to their problems. Sometimes they just need someone to bounce ideas off of.” The doctor watched me a moment. “Why do you always wear the same scarf? I’ve known you nearly a year and you never wear a different one. Why is that?”

“I don’t know. I just really like this one. It’s warm.” The thing I didn’t tell the doctor is that it made me feel safe. I had a connection with it or something. It sounded crazy which is why I didn’t tell her. The last thing I needed was to be locked up in an asylum somewhere.

“Fair enough. You’re lying but, you’ll tell me the real reason when you’re ready.”

“I really don’t like you.”

“No one does.”

Xxx

“So I have to figure out what Regina looks like. I’m thinking, long brunette hair, dark brown eyes, and tall….Strong but gentle….”

I laughed as Henry shoveled food in his mouth. “She sounds…interesting.

“Alluring and mysterious. She doesn’t let people in but for some reason she finally allows The Savior get to know her.”

“Well obviously if they fall in love by the end.” I continued listening to Henry telling me about Regina and Emma. They live in a small town that no one knows about. One that’s out of place time wise. “Hey Henry, what do you think about getting out of town over Christmas break?”

Henry swallowed the last bite of lasagna. “That sounds cool. Where do you want to go?”

“Not sure. Why don’t we just pack our bags and drive for awhile?” Finishing my plate, I took it to the kitchen to rinse it off. “Something spontaneous.”

Henry turned to stare at me. “Who are you and what have you done with my Mom? The Emma Swan I know never does anything spontaneous.”

“Oh come on. I have a slightly spontaneous side.”

“No…you really don’t. You’re spontaneous is getting a different coffee at Starbucks.”

Xxx

Two weeks passed quickly. I told Doctor Rogers that I’d miss two sessions because I was taking her advice. She was happy I was getting out of town and would try not to miss me too much. “Alright, you ready kid?”

“Yeah.” Henry grinned as I threw the last bag in the back. “Oh, I made a driving playlist. Can we listen to it?” Henry pulled out his iPod.

“Sure. Plug it in.” I couldn’t help but chuckle when “Highway to Hell” by ACDC started to play. “Really?” Along the way, we stopped to grab food and stretch our legs a bit.

“How long have we been driving for? I kinda fell asleep.” Henry leaned back in the booth.

“About five hours. It’s not that late so why don’t we drive a few more and then call it a day?”

“Sounds good. So we’re going south…sorta?”

“Yeah. We’re about three and a half hours from Maine. Let’s get a refill on our drinks and hit the road.” My brow creased when I saw a sign that read “Welcome to Storybrooke.” It wasn’t on the GPS so I wondered if it was a mistake. It was close to seven at night, so I figured we should find a place to stay for the night. “Henry, wake up. I think we’ll stay here for the night.”

Groaning, Henry started to wake. “Okay. Where are we?” He stretched and looked around. “Oh wow. This is the kind of town I wrote about in my story. Awesome.”

I couldn’t help but laugh as we pulled into a small diner. “Yeah, well I doubt there are any Evil Queens here.” The diner was cute. It reminded me of old movies. For the most part it was empty. We took a seat in one of the booths and waited. For some reason, the few people who were in the diner stared at us. I guess they weren’t used to new comers.

“What can I get you to drink?” An older woman finally walked towards us.

“I’ll take a coke. And actually, can I get a bacon cheeseburger with fries?” I folded my menu and placed it back behind the salt and pepper.

“I’ll take a coke and the barbeque platter.” We smiled as the older woman walked off. “Is it me, or are the people here kind of weary of us?” Henry kept his voice down.

“I guess they aren’t used to new people. They all seem nice though.” As Henry and I ate, a few people walked in to pick up take out. It wasn’t until I heard a glass shatter that I turned around. There stood a tall woman with dark brunette hair and chocolate brown eyes. She looked exactly like Regina from Henry’s story.

“No way…”

“Henry!” I glared back to my son. “H-here let me help pick up the glass.” The woman just watched as I came to kneel before her. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost. Are you okay?”

“Y-yes. I’m fine.” The woman knelt as the older lady gave her a broom and dust pan.

After I picked up the bigger pieces of glass, the brunette swept up the rest. “Hi, I’m Emma Swan.”

“Regina Mills.” When she shook my hand something felt strange. I froze and couldn’t help but get lost in her eyes. “Emma?”

“What? Sorry.” Taking my hand away, I shoved them in my pockets. “Uh, a-are you having dinner here or…?”

“I’ve not ordered yet. Why?”

Before I could stop and think about what I was saying, it came out. “Would you like to join me and my son?” I was answered with a breathtaking smile.

“I would love to.” Regina followed as I started towards our table. The whole time Henry just stared.

“Henry, this is Regina. Regina, this is my son, Henry.” I slid in beside Henry and grabbed my plate.

“Hello Henry. How are you?” There was something about the way Regina looked at Henry that screamed sadness. I immediately started to feel guilty.

“I’m good. Thanks for joining us.” Henry popped a fry into his mouth.

“Thank your mother for inviting me.” There was a twinkle in Regina’s dark eyes when she glanced my way.

“So, how long have you been living in this town?” Henry was always straight forward.

“I’ve lived here quite awhile. I’m the Mayor.”

The blood drained from my face. Ever since my childhood I’ve always been wary about cops and politicians. “Oh, hello Madam Mayor.” _There’s the look again. She’s looking at me like she’s seen a ghost._

“Welcome to the town, Miss. Swan.” A shiver went down my spine. _Her voice. That look. What is so familiar about this woman?_ “Emma, are you okay?”

“Ma?” Henry nudged my arm.

“Sorry. Yeah, I’m fine. Did you know this town doesn’t show up on a GPS?”

“It’s a small town. Almost like a fairytale. What brings you and Henry to Storybrooke?” The older woman, I can only assume is the owner, brought Regina her food. “Thank you Granny.”

“Is she family?” I took a sip of coke to wash down the last French fry.

“No. Everyone just calls her Granny. She also owns the inn down the road if you want to stay in town.” Regina was very proper; quite different from Henry and I.

“Oh okay. And we were just driving and decided to stop here. It seems like a nice little town. Henry’s out of school for a few weeks and we wanted to get out of New York.”

“Oh. How do you like New York?”

“It’s nice. We moved there after our condo in Boston burnt down.”

“Well I’m glad neither of you were hurt.” A comfortable silence fell between us. “If you’d like, I can show you around town tomorrow.”

“Are you sure? I would think the Mayor has a lot of work to do.”

“The town won’t go to ruin in a day. The only trouble we’ve ever really had was when my Sheriff didn’t turn in her paperwork on time.”

 _There’s that breathtaking smile again._ “I’m guessing this Sheriff no longer works for you? If she never turned in paperwork on time?”

“She and I butted heads quite awhile but I finally straightened her out…For the most part.”

“That’s good…I guess. And a tour of the town sounds great.” _There’s something about Regina that’s longing when she mentions the Sheriff. I wonder why that is._

“Sounds good. Meet me at my home around nine. I’ll have fresh coffee made.” Regina wrote down her address on a napkin and passed it to me.

 _There’s something about her that seems so familiar. But what is it?_ “See you then.”

xxx

         The next morning, Henry and I woke up early enough to grab breakfast to go from Granny’s. Being nice, I ordered an extra biscuit for Regina. As we walked up the walkway I got an odd feeling of déjà vu. Knocking lightly, we waited. Regina opened the door with a smile. “Good morning.”

         “Good morning.” I tried not to stare. Regina looked amazing in the crisp white dress shirt and black slacks. “I smell coffee. Oh and we brought food…if that’s okay.”

         “Come in.” Regina stood to the side as we walked in. “Let me guess, you a bacon and cheese biscuit, Henry a sausage biscuit, and me a bacon biscuit.” _How the hell did she know that?_ “I’m good at reading people. Follow me and I’ll pour you a cup of coffee.”

         “You have an amazing home Regina.” I looked around in amazement.

         “Thank you.” Entering the kitchen, Regina poured me a cup of coffee. She didn’t ask how I liked it. She simply put the one sugar and little half & half in. “Here you are.”

         “Thanks.” Life rushed through me as I sipped the steamy liquid. “Mmmm.”

         “Ma, look at the apple tree.” Henry looked out the window in amazement.

         “Wow, I bet those apples taste amazing. Do you bake Regina?” Placing my cup on the counter, I unloaded the paper bag.

         “I do. Apple turnovers and apple pie are my specialties. If you ever want a glass of the best apple cider you’ve ever tasted, you’re in the right place.”

         “What happened to that branch?” I pointed towards one that looked like it had been sawed off. “Did someone get mad that you didn’t bake them a turnover?”

         “Someone wanted to make a point and get my attention.” _There’s that longing again. She missed whoever took a chainsaw to her tree._ “Thank you for breakfast.”

         “You’re welcome.” While we ate, Regina told us about the town. She told us about many of the landmarks and one stood out. There was apparently a well that would grant you any wish. I knew it was bull but it would still be nice to see. “Where would you like to go first?”

         Henry spoke up quickly. “The well would be cool.”

         With a smile, Regina answered, “The well it is.”

Xxx

         I wasn’t sure how Regina was able to hike in the woods. She wore high heeled boots. But she seemed like the type of woman who chose fashion over comfort. “I think I see it.” Henry jogged ahead of us.

         “He seems really excited about a “magical well.”” I could feel Regina’s eyes on me.

         “Do you not believe in magic Miss. Swan?”

         I was quiet a moment. My shrink would love this answer. “Magic as in curses and stuff, no. But I think there are “magical moments” in life.”

         “What do you see as a magical moment?” We joined Henry at the well. “Be careful Henry.” Regina’s jaw tightened as the words came out. She was protective of Henry.

         “So if you drink from this well, your wish will come true?” He started tugging on the pull rope.

         “I don’t know, Henry. I guess it depends on your wish.” _Spoken like a true mother. Not crushing his dreams but not giving him false hope._ Seeing Regina act around Henry caused warmth to surround my heart. “Although, I think the well is empty or frozen. It is December.”

         “We’ll be fine. We’re all bundled up and Ma has her favorite scarf.” A soft smile tugged at the corner of Regina’s lips for a second but then disappeared. “I guess you’re right. Nothing came up.”

         “Maybe dropping a coin in will work?” I dug in my pocket to give Henry a quarter. “Here, make it count.” Regina and I watched as Henry thought a moment before throwing the coin in. “What’d you wish for kid?”

         “I can’t tell you. Then it definitely wouldn’t come true.” Regina and I chuckled. “What next? The pier maybe?”

         Regina hesitated a moment before answering. “We can do that.”

Xxx

         As we drove to the pier, I relished in the warmth of Regina’s car. Leaning my head back, I closed my eyes. The smell of her perfume put me at ease. I felt like I knew her from somewhere. “We’re here.” Regina placed her gloved hand on my arm. Even through my leather jacket, I felt her warmth.

         “Oh cool! Look at the boats.” Henry walked a few steps ahead of us.

         “To answer your question from earlier, I don’t believe in curses but I believe in magical moments. Like the love of a child and finding that one person you can spend the rest of your life with.” Before Regina could comment, a taller man with black hair and scruff on his face walked towards us.

         “You must be the new comer. Hi there, I’m Killian.” He had a charming smile.

         “I’m Emma.” Shaking his hand, I couldn’t help but notice the jealousy that radiated from Regina.

         “How are you m’lady?” I tried not to laugh as Killian bowed to me.

         “I’m good. Regina is showing me and my son around town. She’s been quite helpful.”

         Killian’s eyes flashed towards Regina who had a triumphant smirk on her face. “Well, I hope you and your boy have a nice time. Maybe I can show you around the Jolly Roger one day?”

         “Oh how cute. Just like Captain Hook.” I tried to not sound sarcastic. Not sure I did a good job though.

         Killian was quite a moment. I could see my comment stung. Clearing his throat he finally spoke. “Right. Well, have a nice day.”

         I waited until Killian was out of ear shot. “He’s a flit.”

         “If you’re into that.” Regina’s voice was flat.

My nose crinkled at Regina’s comment. “Not so much.” Regina almost looked happy at my answer.

Xxx

It was nearly five by the time we got back to Regina’s. “If you would like to stay for dinner, I can whip up lasagna.”

“Yes!” Henry and I spoke quickly.

“Uh….I mean, sure….if it’s not too much trouble.” I felt a soft blush cross my cheeks when Regina smiled.

“Not a problem. If you and Henry will peel a few apples, I can make turnovers as well.” We followed Regina into the kitchen.

“Sure.” Grabbing a knife, I started to peel the apples Regina had in her fridge.

“So, what’s it like being Mayor?” Henry plopped down onto a stool at the bar.

“It has its stressful points. But I enjoy the work. It keeps me busy.” Regina gathered the ingredients she needed. “Can I pour you a glass of cider, Emma? And I have Pepsi if you’d like Henry.”

“That’d be nice.” As if on instinct, I reached for a cabinet door. Low and behold it was the one that stored the glasses. _That’s odd. Another déjà vu moment. What the hell is going on?_ “Would you like a glass?”

“It’s in the fridge. Yes please.”

I poured us each a glass. “Here,” as I gave Regina the glass, our fingers touched. Suddenly, I saw a short haired Regina in a gray dress handing me a glass of cider. “So, what shall we do for the hour it takes to cook the lasagna?”

“I’ve turned the timer on, so I could give you a tour if you’d like?”

“Sure.” As Regina showed us through her mansion, the feeling like I’ve been here before never left me. When we got to the small den, the feeling became stronger. “You have children?” My eyes fell upon a clay molding of what I assumed was Regina’s hand and a smaller one.

“I did. I had a son.” Pain lingered in Regina’s dark eyes.

“What happened?” I regretted the words the second they left my lips.

Regina’s jaw tightened and she cleared her throat. “He’s with his mother.” _His mother?_ My brows creased and Regina continued. “I adopted him when he was first born. Ten years later, she shows up on my doorstep.”

“Regina,” I moved closer to the brunette and placed my hand on her arm. She jumped and looked into my eyes. “If this is too painful for you,” her brown eyes glistened with tears. “You don’t have to talk about it.”

A soft smile touched Regina’s lips. “Thank you Miss. Swan.”

_“I found my real mom!” Henry ran past a short haired Regina and into her house._

_Regina shook her head and blinked away confusion. “You’re Henry’s birth mother?”_

_I shoved my hands into my pockets; slightly embarrassed. “Hi.”_

         “Emma? Are you okay?” Regina placed a soft hand on top of mine jerking me from my thoughts.

         “What?” I shook my head slightly and looked into worried eyes.

         “Are you okay? You went somewhere.” That look in her eyes told me she wouldn’t believe me if I said ‘no’.

         “No…I’m fine.” Glancing down at our hands, I pulled away slowly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up painful memories.”

         Regina watched as I stood and moved back to the couch. “It’s alright. You didn’t know. His mother and I didn’t get along at first but eventually we started to care about each other’s wellbeing.”

         “Did you love her?” The words came out before I could stop them. “I-I’m sorry. That’s none of my business. Never mind.”

         Regina sat in silence a moment. “I did. But sadly, before I could tell her, they had to leave.”

         “I’m sorry Regina.” I could see the brunette’s heart breaking. “Maybe they’ll come back one day?”

         “I hope so.” We sat in a heavy silence until the timer sounded. “Well, time for dinner.” Henry and I took a seat at the table as Regina served us.

         “This tastes amazing. Much better than Mom’s.”

         “Hey!” I couldn’t help but glare at my son; though my grin failed me. “Don’t talk with your mouth full.” Regina chuckled as she watched. “What’s in this?”

         “Red pepper flakes. It gives it a little kick.” _Was that a wink? Did Regina just wink at me?_

         After we cleaned up, it was late and we needed to get back to the hotel. “Thank you for dinner and showing us around your town today. Henry and I have had a great time.” I slid into my leather jacket.

         “You’re welcome Emma. I had a lovely time showing you and your son around.” It seemed second nature to Regina as she reached to fix my scarf. I stiffened when Regina’s fingertips brushed against my neck. Once she was done, Regina took a quick step back. “Sorry. It’s a habit.”

         “N-no problem.” A soft blush crossed my cheeks as I looked at the brunette. “R-ready to go Henry?”

         “Mom, are you okay?” Henry looked worried.

         “Yeah, I’m fine.” Glancing once more towards Regina I smiled. “Thanks again.”

Xxx

         “So, what’s with you and the Mayor?” Henry plopped down on his bed and turned on his Gameboy.

         “What do you mean?” Stretching out, I shifted under the covers.

         “The way you acted around her. I’ve never seen you like that before. She’s really nice. It’s a shame about her girlfriend and their son.”

         “Her girlfriend? What makes you think she’s gay?” Turning towards my son, I studied his reactions.

         Pausing his game, Henry looked towards me. “Really? The way she talked about his birth mom screamed love. And she’s attracted to you. And I think you’re attracted to her.” Before I could argue, Henry continued. “You blushed a lot. And you became pretty bashful around her too. I’ve never seen you like that before.”

         _He was right._ “Go to sleep.” After turning off the light, I stared at the ceiling. All I could think about was Regina and how today played out. _Henry is right about Regina loving her son’s birth mother._ _I’ve seen Regina’s eyes before. That tenderness caused my chest to swell. I want someone to look at me that way. And she’s so good with Henry. So protective of me and him._

Xxx

         I know that Henry and I were supposed to only stay a day or two in Storybrooke then keep going but we stayed. Both of us felt at home in this little town and we hated having to leave. Saying goodbye to Regina nearly broke my heart. The pain in her eyes killed me inside. The entire way home, neither of us spoke. All I knew is that I needed to talk to Dr. Rogers. _She’s going to say I’m mental and lock me up somewhere. I just know it._

         Our apartment just felt empty when we dragged ourselves inside. We were both beat and ready for bed. After I tucked Henry in, I got ready for bed. “Damn it.” Pulling out my phone, I dialed Dr. Rogers. She said if I ever needed to talk, to call her cell phone.

         “Hello?” Her voice sounded tired.

         “Hey Doc, its Emma…” My voice trailed off as I looked at the clock. “Oh shit. I didn’t realize it was midnight. I’ll let you go back to sleep.”

         “No. It’s alright. You called so you obviously need to talk about something. What’s wrong?” I was quiet. “Emma?”

         “I’m….We just got back from our trip.”

         “That’s good. How was it?”

         “It was good.” I paused, “We stayed in this cute little town. It’s so small there wasn’t a GPS point for it.”

         “Wow, so a place that would drive me insane.”

         I chuckled. Dr. Rogers mentioned that she loved big cities and that she’d probably die in a small town. “Yeah, it would.” _Should I tell her about Regina?_

         “There’s something on your mind Emma. Otherwise you wouldn’t have called this late.”

         “I met someone.” My voice trailed off as I thought about Regina.

         “You did? Tell me about her?”

         I paused. “How did you know it was a her?”

         “Lucky guess?”

         “She’s…” _How do I explain Regina? She’s like a Queen but has a soft side._ “She’s…I don’t know how to explain her. She’s strong, independent, and real. She’s been hurt in the past so she’s guarded. But so good with Henry. She had a son once but he and this birth mother had to leave town. Henry says she’s into me and swears that I’m into her.” As I went on about Regina, I could only imagine what Dr. Rogers was thinking.

         “I’ll be blunt. Do you love her?”

         “I think I do…” Weight lifted from my chest instantly. “What the hell do I do? She’s still in love with her son’s birth mother…”

         “Emma, I’m saying this to you because you’re one of the few patients I have who are truly level headed. But, I think you already know the answer to that. You just need to take a leap of faith. You’ve always played it safe in your life. Never putting yourself out there to be hurt. Maybe this time you need to chance getting hurt.”

         _She was right. I have played everything safe. I needed to take a chance for once in my life._ “Thanks Doc. I think I know what I need to do.” Ending the call, I got up and pulled my jeans on. I tried to be quiet. As I stepped into the kitchen, Henry called out.

         “Go back to bed. It’s way too late to go after her now.” I just stood in shock. “I know you’re out there.”

         “Shut up Henry.” Grumbling, I went back to bed.

         “Love you!”

Xxx

         “So, you were gonna go after her last night? You do love her.” Henry waited for an answer.

         “Thanks for stopping me this morning. It would’ve been an insane thing to do.” I sighed and cut my pancake. “But, I think I do…” My voice trailed off when there was a light knock on the door. “Are we expecting anyone?” Henry shook his head. “Stay here.” I dropped my orange juice as I opened the door. “R-Regina?”

         Looking down at the shattered glass, Regina smiled. “Well, that was the reaction I wanted. May I come in and help you clean that?”

         _No way. She’s here. In my apartment. How?_ “Uh, yeah, please.” Stepping to the side, Regina stepped over the glass. “Uh, Henry….we have company.”

         “You made it!” Henry handed me the broom and dust pan. “I’m glad.”

         “Henry, what did you do?” I looked between my son and the brunette. They looked thick as thieves.

         “Henry and I talked before the two of you left. Remember when I took him for ice cream?”

 _That sneaky little brat._ “Oh he did, did he?” Glaring towards my son, he picked up his plate and dashed towards his room. “I…I don’t know what to say…” Turning, I started sweeping up the glass.”

“Here, get a towel to clean up the juice and I’ll do that.” Regina took the broom from me.

“Thanks.” We cleaned in silence. “So, what exactly did my son tell you?”

“He said you always play things safe. When he stopped you from coming after me last night I knew I had to come.” I looked up at the brunette confused. “We’ve been texting.”

“Sneaky little brat.” I murmured as I stood.

“I heard that!” Regina and I looked towards Henry’s cracked door.

“Regina, you’re still in love with your son’s birth mother. I can’t take her place…”

“Actually, you can. There’s a reason you felt so at home in Storybrooke. And why I felt so familiar to you. While, no, you weren’t my girlfriend, we did share Henry.”

“You’re insane. Why do I always fall for either crazy people or losers?” I brushed past Regina to throw the towel in the washer. “Look, I don’t know what you told Henry but we’ve always lived in New York or Boston. That was the first time we’ve ever been in Storybrooke. And I’m sorry, I’m not your long lost girlfriend and Henry’s not your long lost son. Now please….” I was cut off by soft lips. Wave after wave of memories flooded my mind. _She wasn’t lying._

Regina took a step back and just watched me. “Believe me now?”

“R-Regina….” My voice trailed off as I took a quick step forward and kissed her. I loved the feeling of her lips on mine. “It’s really you…”

“It is.” Regina let her forehead rest against mine. “So, you remember everything?”

“Yes. And thank you for the scarf.” I smiled sheepishly.

Regina laughed and took a step back. “You’re welcome. Would you like to stay here awhile or go home?”

“Regina,” I took one of her hands in mine. “Where ever you and Henry are is my home. If you want to stay here we will. If you want to go back to Storybrooke, I’ll go pack my bags now.”

A soft smile tugged at the Mayor’s lips. “Let’s stay here for awhile. Then we’ll go back to Storybrooke.”

“Sounds great to me.”

Henry ran out of his room and hugged Regina tightly. “Mom!”

“Hello Henry.” Regina kissed his hair before pulling him back into a hug. “I’m so glad you and Emma remember everything again.”

“Me too. I missed having two moms.” Regina and I chuckled at Henry. He always knew how to lighten the mood.

“Oh God…” The realization of what I had said before Regina kissed me came full circle. “I’m sorry for what I said earlier.”

“It’s true. But apology accepted.”

I met Regina’s gaze. “You’re in love with me?”

“I am. It wasn’t until the town line that I truly realized it. Why else do you think I’d give you a scarf laced with magic to allow you back into Storybrook. I figured…”

“I would always find you?” I grinned as Regina’s eyes narrowed.

“You know, maybe I was wrong about accepting that apology.”

“It’s good having the two of you together again. I kind of missed the entertaining bickering.” Henry laughed. “Now let’s finish breakfast.” Henry and Regina took a seat at the table while I fixed Regina a plate. _It’s good having Regina back in my life. Especially since I knew she loved me. If you told me years ago that I would fall in love with the woman who wanted me dead I would have punched you in the face. But now, I wouldn’t have it any other way._

 


End file.
